Year 8 - Music
Creating an idiomatic blues performance
The 12-bar blues
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about the 12-bar blues, the stylistic and musical features of blues music and the role of the instruments in a blues ensemble. They develop an extended improvisation and build a stylistic blues performance.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to perform an idiomatic blues improvisation over the 12-bar blues sequence and create an extended blues performance.
Key Notes
- An idiomatic blues improvisation can be created by using a motif and typical blues features.
- These include blue notes, syncopation and an AAB phrase structure.
- They also include piano techniques such as tremolos, playing in octaves and using chords in the melodic line.
- We have performed an extended 12-bar blues performance using the blues scale, improvisation and a blues accompaniment.
Vocabulary To Learn
- idiomatic: if something is idiomatic it is appropriate to the style (e.g. blues music using blues features such as the blues scale and syncopation)
- AAB: a melodic phrase structure, common in blues music, where the first phrase (A) is repeated then followed by a contrasting phrase (B)
- octaves: when the piano plays in octaves it plays the same note (e.g. C) but 8 notes apart
- syncopation: when the rhythm emphasises (accents) notes in between the main beats
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Any notes will work for improvising
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
An idiomatic blues improvisation can be created by using a motif and typical blues features. These include blue notes, syncopation and an AAB phrase structure.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'idiomatic'
if something is idiomatic it is appropriate to the style (e.g. blues music using blues features such as the blues scale and syncopation).
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Any notes will work for improvising. Correction: Find the balance between developing confidence in improvising and quality of musical ideas. Encourage pupils to think about the choice of notes, repetition, returning to a main note etc, as well as trying ideas and reflecting on what they sound like.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 8 Music guide library.